Clinical Research Directory

THE EFFECT OF SKIN-TO-SKIN CONTACT ON PAIN AND ANXIETY DURING EPISIOTOMY REPAIR

Sponsor: Adiyaman University

Summary

Episiotomy is a surgical incision made in the perineum during the second stage of labor. The suturing (repair) process following episiotomy causes significant acute perineal pain and state anxiety in women due to the rich nerve supply of the perineum. Although the physiological and psychological benefits of early skin-to-skin contact (SSC) for mothers and newborns are widely reported in the literature, studies evaluating the effects of SSC on maternal pain and anxiety during episiotomy repair, when surgical stress is intense, are limited. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of early skin-to-skin contact during episiotomy repair on women's pain and state anxiety levels and to compare the group receiving SSC with the group receiving standard routine care. The study will be conducted as a randomized controlled experimental study, and the sample size has been calculated using power analysis. The data collection tools will include the Descriptive Information Form, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory. SSC applied during repair stimulates endogenous oxytocin release, reduces hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system activity, supports the parasympathetic system, and provides natural analgesic and anxiolytic effects. It also shifts the mother's attention from the pain of the surgical procedure to her baby. Conducted within the framework of woman-centered midwifery care, this study aims to address the gap in the literature regarding the analgesic and anxiolytic effects of SSC during episiotomy repair and to contribute evidence-based knowledge to clinical midwifery practice.

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